c05.11.06_027_PLO_FLM_0076

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Date:	Visitor's Name:	Comment:
05/14/06	Matt Bahre	I might be wrong but I don't think this can be Memorial day 1976... The reason I say this is that the (6) cars that Weld built over the winter of 75/76 were spoken for and driven well into the 1976 season. I know for sure that (5) of those (6) original "Weld shop" built cars were at the (Monday) Memorial day 35 lap race at Syracuse! I'm not sure that Olsen was there with the Wicheki # 74 but when Olsen did leave that car, Bobby Braxton got in it before anyone else. It seems to me that Ploski didn't get into this car until late in 76 or I think early 77 at the minimum. Also, IS this one of the six that Weld built???? OR... is it a car that Olsen built after Weld basically sold Olsen his car building business. If it's one of the original six... which one is it??? I know it's not our Delmolino (Bahre's) #24... I know it's not Alan Johnsons (Connolly) #14 or (Cagle's) #24... So if it is one of the original six, it has to be either the former Brightbill (Statewide #19)... the Weld (T/K) # 91or the Olsen (Wichecki) #74. I thought the # 74 was wrecked bad and Welds car had rear quarter cut outs... So my guess would be either the #19 or a Olsen copy! Matt Bahre - Bahre Racing Ent.
05/15/06	John Marelli	Relying on my foggy memory, the note I have on the box of slides, and the development date on the slides which say June 76, I'd have to day this was in fact Memorial day "76" Anyone in the Ploski camp?? I'd love to hear the history of this car. It was a work of art technically and graphically....And on that day looked like it was it's first time out.
05/22/06	Dominic Korzecki	I can't speculate on the date of this photo since I was only a glimmer in my mother's eye when it was taken but the one thing I did notice about this photo (or any 70's/ early 80's modified for that matter) is the superior craftsmanship and design but more than that, the lack of sponsors. I imagine that Stan Sr. was the principal financial sponsor for this particular car seeing the Pheasant Farm on the back. Many 70's photos here in the vault show only 1 or maybe 2 sponsors to each car. To me it shows an era gone by of a lost art form. But as any evolutionary pattern states, sooner or later, the cycle will peak and innovation will once again be embraced. I just hope it's in my lifetime since I missed it the first time around.
06/15/06	Mark Braun	According to an article that appeared in Stock Car Racing, Sept., 1993..."He (Weld), originally built nine cars with this design, although he built others for himself before he started to sell them." Weld built his first car for Bob Weikert in 1974. In 1975 he built another car for Wiekert, which soon went to Statewide Racing and became the #3 driven by Balough, Osmun and Horton. After that, Weld built cars for himself (91), Ed Delmolino (24), Alan Johnson (14J), Harold Bunting (no #), Stan Ploski (27 UJr.), Will Cagle (24), Kenny Brightbill (19 Statewide) and the Weichecki 74." Some quick math, and I come up with 10, so I'm not so sure how accurate the article is. I do know that Ploski ran the 27Jr. at the Eastern States at Middletown in 1976 from looking through the 1977 program. There's also a couple of shots of the car in the 1977 Schaefer 100 program of the car in competition in some qualifying races. Walt Olsen bought out Weld in October of 1976. I spoke to Walt and he told me that he knows of 2 original Weld cars still in existence. One is supposed to be Weld's original Weikert car, though I believe that car was destroyed at Middletown. The other is the Statewide Racing #19 of Kenny Brightbill.
06/28/06	Mark Kielblock	John Marelli is right. It is Memorial Day 76. It was my senior year of HS, one of my first big trips to the track without my parents. Some great racing that day between Horton in the Statewide 3, Chamberlain and I believe Ploski got in the mix too. I was a 100-lap feature. Yes you actually can run a a dirt track in the day time and have a good show! I know todays "splash" graphics are flashy, but I agree this car is a work of art.
12/13/06	J.T.Halpin	My friend Dave Keddy bought this car from someone in n.j. in the winter of 1982-1983-- he was told it was Stan Ploski's weld car--Dave raced it at Accord for a couple of years & then sold it to Johnny Hankamp,, who also raced it for a couple more years at Accord. It was sold again to another guy who raced it as a sportsman car at Middletown & Accord, and now is in storage.
10.08.10	Kevin Eckert	Yes, it is Memorial Day 1976. Stan got one of that winter's litter, but his arrived a little later than the rest. Statewide pay to have their cars first? This is perhaps the prettiest Weld modified (Piscopo Auto Body take a bow) and the most baffling to its owner. Ploski dragged the car to Tobias Speed Equipment and had Toby cut away Kenny's complex suspension and hang four standard shocks.
04.19.14	Tom Kinter	Yes ‘76...sitting in the Main covered grandstands, I can still hear the gasps and hoots for Stan as he drove this sweet machine out to the starting of the first or second heat race...And Bill Singer had a few words to say too! Like WoW. It was a beauty. I will say, I’m sure this had chrome rims when this first appeared on track though.

Photo ID #	c05.11.06_027_PLO_FLM_0076_1
Car #:	#27
Driver (s) :	Stan Ploski
Location:	Flemington
Date:	Memorial Day, 1976
Photographer:	John Marelli
Photo provided by:	John Marelli
Comments:	Comments from John Marelli: Glad to be able to share these shots with all....These were both taken the same day Memorial Day 1976 (along with the photo on page 49 with Stan and the #2T of Bruce Tinsley).... I had just gotten a new camera, and was fortunate to crawl all around the fairgrounds that day... Here are some shots of Stan's spanking new car. This might have been it's maiden voyage. Check out the sponsor not only on the trunk, but especially on the rear panel!!....Enjoy.